Vaseeswarar Temple, Thiruppasur

Thevaaram.org reports sixteen inscriptions at the temple, which place the village in Kakkalur-nadu of Eekkadu-kottam in Thondaimandalam. In the time of Rajaraja, 47 kasu were given for worship, and 32 cows for lamps together with a bull for the temple drum. In Kulothunga's reign a donor gave 30 kasu for an ornament and two measures of rice a day, and an official styled Kalingarayan gave 78 kasu for ten lamps; a garden was also given in the time of the Vijayanagara prince Kampana.

Wikipedia, citing Robert Sewell's 1882 Lists of the Antiquarian Remains in the Presidency of Madras, adds that records on the sanctum walls include an agreement between Rajadhirajadeva and the temple priest about temple service, a grant of paddy in the third year of Kulothunga I, a record of Rajaraja I, and a grant for perpetual lamps in the reign of a Kulothunga. Wikipedia states that the original complex is believed to have been built by the Cholas and that the present masonry structure dates from the 16th century. The temple is maintained today by the HR&CE Department.

Architecture and sacred features

According to Wikipedia, the temple covers about one acre and has a five-tiered gopuram facing south; all the shrines are enclosed by concentric granite walls. The east-facing sanctum is reached through side doors from the south, passing the shrines of the goddess, Murugan and Vinayaka, which run parallel to the Shiva shrine. Dinamalar and Wikipedia both describe the vimana over the sanctum as being in the gajaprishta (elephant-back) style, while the goddess's shrine has a gopuram-type roof.

The sanctum is approached through a mahamandapa and an ardhamandapa. Around the main shrine are the usual shrines of Vinayaka, Murugan, the Navagrahas, Chandikeswarar and Durga. Dinamalar also describes a Sri Chakra in the ardhamandapa, traditionally said to have been installed by Adi Shankara, a mandapa of eleven Vinayakas, and a shrine of Swarna Kali whose legs are shown bound, recalling a local legend.